Eclipse
by souls
Summary: Jubilee returns to the mansion after years away but will anyone survive the darker side of her homecoming?
1. Eclipse 1

Eclipse

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Disclaimer: Don't own Marvel so don't own X-men.

//are thoughts **telepathic speech [You guys know the drill.]  


I'd like to thank the following for their collaboration on this fic: Admiral, 

Chaos, Dazzler, Discord, Evenstar, Jason Barnett, and PolkaDot.

************************************************************

A figure moves quietly through foliage surrounding the darkened mansion. The figure stops at the outer tree line. A pale green light erupts from a device illuminating the figure's face revealing a young lady with Asian features. As she punches a series of numbers into the device her suit shimmers and stops.

  
/Well that should cut down on any snooping psi's or sensors in the neighborhood./

  
She rises from her crouch and continues on her way making sure to remain hidden in the shadows. She has a date and it wouldn't do to keep him waiting. Breaking out across the grounds at a quick sprint and begins to melt the windows fixture allowing her to yank it out. Stepping in she skulks down the hall toward the room of her date for the evening. She knows exactly what to expect as she enters the study. The old man would be there, sitting in his chair working real late. It would be much easier to just walk in there and fry him but she knows they'd pick up her mutant signature as soon as the fireworks started, so to speak. 

/Tonight you die old man or at least you'd wish you had when I'm through./ With that thought she flings the door open startling the old man. Even though she quickly catches him in the chest with her knife he manages to trip the alarm before passing out.

/Damn. Cats outta the bag./

She begins running but stops as adamantium blast shields slam shut over the main exits and windows of the mansion. In a mad dash she heads down the elevators toward the hanger bay. Her mind whirls knowing who the first one to find her will be and wanting to avoid that confrontation. 

  
As she enters the hanger three members of the X-Men in full battle gear meet her. 

  
"Going somewhere bub!?" SNKKT Wolverine pops his claws.

/Great! He doesn't recognize me through the nightcloak./   
  
"You gonna come along nicely or do we play rough, non." A kinetically charged card flares to life waiting to be released. Storm moves over flanking the hanger bay entrance with her awesome presence.  
  
The intruder smiles as ebony plasma gathers around her hands. The energy continues to build as it creeps across the floor and up her body to collect at her hands. Through the sensory filter of the nightcloak the intruder replies, "It looks as though we have a standoff. There like isn't a chance you X-men are gonna let me just walk outta here is it?"  
  
"I don't think so bub." Wolverine growls back.  
  
"Well...let's get to it then."   
  
Wolverine lunges at her but she dives to the side and blasts him into the wall. He rebounds shaking off the effects of the blast. He rounds on her lunging again this time the intruder is too slow. The intruder stumbles back falling into a crouch her hair draping over her face. The suit along her right arm has been slashed along with part of the controls for her nightcloak, which spits out a stray spark.   
  
"You broke it you bought it bub." The intruder says as the nightcloak's masking program finally fails. The three X-men stare in shocked silence.   
  
*What's happening down there? Have you caught the intruder?* Jean stops as she witnesses the scene through Storm's eyes. The intruder raises her head as they all look into the pale blue eyes of Jubilee.  
  
"Did you guys miss me?"   
  
"Jubilee?"   
"Where have you been child?"   
"Darlin what's going on?"  
  
"I had to take some time to think and I learned a few new things about myself." She fires another ebony plasma burst scattering them.   
  
"Gambit, I like the name Eclipse and it'd be good for your health if you'd learn to love it." A wicked smile crosses her face. "But enough of the small talk I've gotta get goin. Ciao." Without warning the Blackbird explodes knocking everyone to the floor.   
  
"Ohhhh!!! De petite sure pack'n a whollop dees days non."  
  
"I agree Gambit. Logan are you..."  
  
"I'm fine!" Wolverine snarls before stalking out.  
  
*Are you alright.*   
  
*How's the Professor?*  
  
*It's not good. The wound he received from the knife isn't bad. The problem is whatever Jubilee coated the knife in.*  


Eclipse chuckled as she exited the mansion. She had used the explosion of the Blackbird to fade to invisibility, one of her newfound powers. No doubt they were worrying about the professor and wondering how she had been mind-controlled.   
  
Now she had to get beyond the mansion's grounds so she could be teleported out. Jubilation Lee turned back briefly and laughed silently to herself as Wolverine came out to the porch smoking a cigar. She could almost see the tears in his eyes from the distance she was at. He was probably sobbing at the betrayal of his little girl.

  
*****  
  
The man called Wolverine was deep in thought. The others were no doubt trying to figure out how Jubilee had been controlled, he wanted to know how she been turned.  
  
He had seen so many betrayals, that he could feel in his bones which ones were real. Mariko, Jean, they betrayal had been sudden, overnight and they had been controlled.  
  
Sabretooth and Sliver Fox, they had been separated from him for years. When they had come back, they had been different; they had been enemies. It wasn't like the X-men had just seen her last night. She had vanished when her years of planning the newest X-men team, the members of GenX, had fallen apart. Jono had just walked away, he was now living in seclusion. Everett had gone to college and gotten a teaching job. Angelo had been killed by his old girlfriend Torres. Monet had betrayed them to Emplate, the St. Croix's were now some of the X-men's deadliest enemies. Paige had married Tristan Brawn and was living it up in the lap of luxury.   
  
Now she was back and she had tried to kill Chuck. He was willing to give her a chance to explain herself but it might be after several hours of intensive surgery.  
  
The wind shifted and he had her scent. Charging forward he popped his claws well out of her earshot that seemed to swing at empty air. A cry of pain was heard and Jubilee was suddenly visible. She fired a series of bright paff's into his eyes then sent him down with a darker energy blast, before she took off running.  
  
Logan shook his head as he got up. There had been no holding back there for him, so he wasn't going to do it for her.  
  
"I need to get out of here. It looks like Wolvie isn't going to be as easy going as I thought he was," she whispered into her cloak.  


As she ran through the woods, she was aware that Wolverine was chasing her. And he knew the woods, and tracking, and her scent. His movements were not audible to her. She knew she had to make it to the edge of the mansion's barriers and be teleported, or wait for him to make his move. She could see the edge of the fence surrounding this side of the ground when the growling man landed in front of her.  
  
She acted on newfound instincts and the air around Wolverine exploded in plasma. A tree landed on his legs. Knowing this would only stop him for a split second she sprinted toward the property line.   
  
She turned before she stepped across. "Don't mess with me, old man!"   


Logan was dumb-founded. His little girl, his angel had turned on him. What could have possibly happen that would make her turn on him.

Eclipse was grateful, she knew she should thank what ever powers that be that she was alive, that is if she still believed in the powers that be. She sighed and sat down in an over-stuffed chair. She looked around her bare apartment. There was just enough to survive. A bed, a chair, a card table and a lamp were the only things filling the room. She knew what had brought her to this. What had brought her to become an assassin for hire?   


As she drifted off into her thoughts she began to contemplate what to do next. It was always what ifs that got her at times like this.  
What if...GenX hadn't disbanded? What if...Angelo hadn't died? What if...she had told Ange how she really felt? Why that b**ch Monet turned on them just when it seemed she was warming up to her? What if...there was a way she could change it all? Shaking her head these images swirled like a muddy pool before disbursing.   
  
/Quit talkin stupid, Jubes. What good would changing it do? They might be alive and well but you'd still be...a killer, a merc, and an enemy to them./   
  
As she lit her cigarette with a light paff. A nifty trick she'd learned from many years around Gambit, a knock at the door ended her ranting a small envelope was shoved through the mail slot. The note contained a small card and a disc.  
  
The card read:  


~*~

  
Eclipse,  
  
I have what you seek as long as you are willing to play the game until endgame. If you are interested the disc holds the meetings location.  
  
Sincerely,  
THE GAMEMASTER  


~*~

Jubilee sighed. She'd be there of course. She was just thankful his game had a long time limit. Otherwise she wouldn't be able to eat. Now she had to go see to it her nightcloak got properly repaired.

  
******  
  
~Welcome Charles Xavier.~  
  
~How did I get on the Astral Plane?~  
  
~I brought you here. Be thankful, because if I hadn't you would be in tremendous pain,~ Gamesmaster told him.  
  
~What happened?~  
  
~Your youngest student ever tried to kill you. She used a clever poison. It wounds you, weakens you to deaths door then goes into remission and lets you heal. When you are healthy again it strikes again. It can do that as many as ten times.~  
  
~Jubilee? Why would she do such a thing?~  
  
~Because she is the player in my new game. How far will someone go to get what they desire.~  
  
~And what does she desire?~   
  
~For things to be the way they were. Allow me to demonstrate. I am already starting to bring her old friends together. Observe.~

  
******  
  
~This gentleman is the greatest non-mutant computer hacker in the world. Only people with machinery-based powers and Kitty Pryde are better. He is currently researching assassins for hire for his employers, the Brawns. Young Tristan wants to eliminate numerous rivals for power. His wife is handling the hiring of the assassin. She does not wish him to succeed so she will hire Eclipse believing that Jubilee will not fulfill the mission. Her current goals are stymieing her husband's goals.~

  
*******  
  
Logan had used Cerebro to track down Jubilee's signature. It had located her to within twenty-five miles. He needed someone to help get down the last few miles. All the telepaths were busy or unavailable but he knew someone who could help him locate mutants.  
  
Everett Thomas had told the team that if there was ever a major emergency that he would be willing to help. That was the type of guy he was and Logan couldn't help but feel this was enough of an emergency.

  
*******  
  
~And what about the others? Monet is our enemy, Jono is a hermit, Angelo is dead.~  
  
~Someone like you knows the importance thought to time. A telepath with enough raw power could reach through time and pull his mind out moments before he died. Say the amount of raw power his best friend possessed. Surely it isn't hard to find a body for a wandering mind. It certainly happens to you people enough.~  
  
~And Monet?~  
  
~There may yet be hope for her.~  
  
~Could you be more enigmatic?~  
  
~I doubt it, with the effort I put into it.~  
  
~So what happens? Jubilee throws away everything she holds dear and you give her back her friends?~  
  
~Perhaps. Or perhaps that will be failure and I will reward her if she is willing to oppose me.~  


Jubilee stepped outta her apartment sliding down the fire escape and landing with a solid thud as her feet hit the ground. The jolt woke her up telling her she should be on her toes. She headed for the alleyway. She steps out into the crowd sliding the mirrored shades over her eyes and blends in.   
  
Two and a half blocks and three double backs later. She's finally sure that noone has followed her. The last block and a half of walking to Elmwood and first should be a breeze.   
  
/Techy better be finished with my cloak or he's gonna be a world o' hurt./  
  
She makes one last stop off at O'Dell's and books it the rest of the way until she's standing in front of a brownstone building that's seen better days. She hit the bell twice before the door opened and a silky voice rose from the built in sound boxes.  
  
"Hey Clipsey. Ya bring my stuff?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Well come on down then." A kid runs up to Jubilee and takes the bag from her. He looks to be about twelve but looks can be deceiving. The figure before Jubilee was immortal and far worse off than others. Being a mutant was the first of his problems. Being immortal and stuck in the body of a twelve year old was his second.  
  
"So...my stuff ready yet?" She said as she tossed him the other bag with the beer in it.   
  
"Yeah Clipsey it's done. Don't know why you need so much cloaking. Half the stuff on that rig the government don't even know exists."  
  
"Whatever..." Jubes says before activating the nightcloak.   
  
/I bet Logan's look'n for me right now. Let me throw a little kink in his plans./ Activating the newest feature she vanishes from every mutant tracking system on the planet.  


*********************  


Ten miles away--  
  
/Damnit lost the signal...I guess I gotta do this the old fashioned way./   


"He's going to find you." The voice came from a figure in the shadows.   
  
"Go away!" Jubilee didn't even look towards the Voice.   
  
"Sure... yeah, I'll go , going... NOT!" Jubilee didn't answer.  
  
"Ohh so we are here again... ~sigh~ The old I'm*ignoring*you*so*shut*up all over again, yeah RIGHT!"  
  
Jubilee still was quiet "I could go on all night..." the voice sounded amused.  
  
A young Jubilee stepped out of the shadow's wearing a big grin "Wanna bet on how long you *last* this time?"  
  
"Will you leave me alone!" Jubilee screamed and hurled a lamp against here younger self.  
  
The lamp hit the wall behind her. The younger jubilee sighed. "Ok, you're really slipping."  
  
"WHAT DO YOU WHANT FROM ME!!!!" Eclipse screamed, The younger Jubilee smiled.   
  
"Don't look at me, I'm the *figment of you're imagination, *ghost from the past*" she turned her smile in to a grin.   
  
"but that *term* don't help you now... right?" The young Jubilee walked over to the window  
  
"how long do you think he will take... 10 hour's... a day maybe?" she looked out in to the night.  
  
"He won't find us... me!!" She was about to crack open... "He will never find me"  
  
The young jubilee turned her head toward *Eclipse* as she called her self now, frowned "Yeah, right, whatever"   


Eclipse frowns throwing a dark burst of energy spinning toward her younger self. It blackens the wall. The younger Jubilee laughs.  
  
"He will find you because, HE'S THE BEST AT WHAT HE DOES!!!"  
  
/I've gotta quit talk'n to myself. I've got places to go./ Eclipse disappears in a swirl of lights.  
  
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Eclipse lands somewhere in the vicinity of the Northern Alps. The wind howls around her as she redials the numbers into her nightcloak. The new teleporter worked like a charm.   
  
/Wolvie's not the only one who's the best at what he does. Techy has skills./  
  
*If you're quite finished Ms. Lee we can begin anew setting you on the path to endgame.* Eclipse is vaguely startled but replies in kind.  
  
*Alright Game Boy let's get on with it.*  
  
*Patience is a virtue Ms. Lee. You have but to finish the remaining tasks and return to where it all began.*  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN RETURN TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN!?" As she turns she sees no one only a black envelope.  
  
/Damn enigmatic sonuva..../ She is interrupted by a growl behind her. It's too deep for Wolverine that leaves only one other person.  
  
"How's it going Creed?" Eclipse says as she sidesteps his claws. "You're not still mad about that gig I left ya on in Cali are ya? As much as I'd love to stay and play I got a date with a certain group of mutants of your aquaintance. Bye!" Sabertoothe charges passing straight through Eclipse as she ports out.  
  
/I hope Sinny doesn't mind me droppin in./  
  
A black sedan pulled up to the gates of the Westchester mansion in New York. It'd been a while since he'd returned to this place. It held many memories. Some good, some bad, most of a certain young firecracker. For the past one hundred miles Everett had been asking himself why Jubes decided to off the Professor. /She could've just been fed up and went off or something. Maybe it was stress./ Even as he thought this he knew his explanations were hollow. Jubilee never did anything without a reason. He'd made a promise to her and to the others to be here when they needed him and so he was.

/I guess I better ring the bell./ Shutting off the engine he projects hoping to be picked up by the nearest telepath. *Hello*

*Come in Mr. Thomas we've been expecting you.*

Even after the past three years he had never got over the trauma of siphoning Monet's telepathy from her. /Emplate had attacked and wounded Rogue. I still can't believe how easy he got the drop on Rogue. Things might have gone better if someone else had retrieved Rogue. Then I wouldn't have had to synch up with her. If only someone else had been there He wouldn't have been there to make contact when Monet attacked him. I should have let go the contact was too long./ Everett so engrossed with his own thoughts that he never noticed Phoenix walk up behind him.

"Everett it wasn't your fault." The voice more so than the hand on his shoulder alerted him to the fact that he was projecting. "The world is full of 'if-onlys'. Things just happen. Right now we must find a way to deal with Eclipse."

"Yeah, we gotta find her first."

"That's where you come in. We're hop'n that cerebro plus your aura and whatever telepathy you have will be enough to locate her."

Everett put the Cerebro helmet on his head. He focused on directing his telepathy on Jubilee's thought signature. There was nothing. Then he pushed his synchronistic powers out along with his telepathy.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
"Jubilee, I know you're out there," he thought as he strained his powers to the max.  
  
There was a tiny familiar spark.  
  
"I think I found her!" he yelled out. And at that moment, he lost contact. His shoulders slumped and he sighed.  
  
**************  
  
Eclipse teleported and quickly scanned her surroundings, orienting herself.   
  
Suddenly, in the back of her mind, she felt a twinge of something familiar. She recognized it from past battles and practice sequences.  
  
"So, they're sending Everett after me?" she thought.  


She bit back the tears that had made their ways to her eyes. _ Everett. _ She thought. She could force the tears back but not the memories. The last battle...the one that had changed everything. Where she had lost everything she held dear to her and when she had changed in front of her family's eyes. The night she had first killed someone.   


Eclipse shakes her head but the images keep flowing through her brain. The explosion, the smell of charred flesh, the looks of horror.

"What's wrong, don'tcha like what ya see?" A voice asks from behind her.

"Not you again."

"Who else were you expectin? Maybe you was expectin one of your old partners to show up. Which one could it be this time Sabertooth or the walking mouth. I can't believe you went into business with the guys you and Wolvie used to put a hurtin on. When exactly did you sell your soul?"

"When I felt the other way wasn't working. I've lost too much maybe now I can get something back. I'm outta here!" 

Eclipse sparks materializing inside an old warehouse. She blasts away a pile of rubble and heads for a hidden elevator. /The psionic shielding in these doors should cut down on Ev trying to track me until I've finished with Sinney's old files on GenX./

The elevator opens to an old cloning room long since been used. A terminal sits at the other end. The information the Gamemaster gave her said it was still operational. She begins running through all the data; mostly names, dates, government records, etc. /I gotta give him credit Sinister is thorough. Where could Jono be?/ 

The list continues to flow by. The computer begins to pull up her secondary search. /Hmmm....It seems that someone has a job for me and wants me to meet them in Madripoor. I can pick up a few extra bills. It'll help me alot to track down Jono./

It finally pulls up the last known address of Charles Angellus Evans. A person meeting the description of one Jonathon Starsmore. 

******************

"It's all coming together now can't you see Xavier. As we speak she heads to a reunion with six old friends and destiny."

Images appear before Xavier as he stands beside the Gamemaster in the vastness of the astral plane. An image of Wolverine, Paige, Tristan...the rest swirl away into nothing.

"I can't give away the surprise now can I Charles." 

Jubilee looked around the room and touched the cold steel bed that lay in the middle. Xavier watched as she passed out. " What's wrong with her! " he asked. " Nothing... she just experiencing part of her empathy. " Gamemaster said. 

Xavier shook his head. "Don't play your games with me. Jubilee's latent abilities would not manifest in empathy. That is the rarest of mental abilities."

The image faded. "If I can't fool you then I may as well try my luck."

*****

Jubilee looked at the address and then set her teleporter coordinates. Her cloak masked her shock when she saw her new employer was Paige.

*****

Paige Brawn went through the dossier one final time. This person Tristan wanted dead was both an underworld rival and a skilled scientist. He had invented a drug that would destroy any altered humans or artificially activated mutants such as Polaris. Tristan wanted him dead and the drug. Paige wanted him alive and the drug destroyed. With Jubilee's code of honor she was sure she could count on that. She didn't know of the changes her old friend had gone through.

******

Monet and Nicole St. Croix flew as if their lives depended on it. Nicole carried an unconscious Claudia. "With the scientist I discovered's drug we can finally free Claudia of the curse Marius inflicted on her by making her an Emplate. This drug will destroy any added genetic touches, restoring her to normal."

"Are we going straight to him? Marius may track us."

"Which is why we are getting help. I've finally found where Jono lives. He is one of the few who can stand up to our brother." 

Eclipse thought about leaving but she needed the money and she was curious why her old friend had called on her services. 

"Paige, you weren't who I was expecting. I never thought you would need the services of someone like me."

Paige looked at Jubilee timidly, she had changed a lot. She didn't know how to respond to her old friend who used to be so full of joy, but who now it seemed to suck all the warmth and light out of the room. "I have enlisted you on Tristan's behalf. He wants a Dr. Leishner dead. I don't think that killing him is necessary. But I agree with Tristan that his formula is dangerous. I want you to destroy it, but spare the doctor."

"I suppose I get paid either way."

"Well yes, but Tristan wants the drug for himself so you will need to bring back a dummy."

"A dummy, this sounds complicated Paige, if the doctor isn't destroyed he can recreate the formula. I think I should destroy the doctor, destroy the formula and you can present some dummy to your hubby, hmm?"

"No, I don't want the doctor killed, I suppose if you just destroy the formula that will be enough."

"But Paige, what'll dear Tristan think of that. I don't want to get you in trouble with your hubby. What kind of friend would I be if I did that?" Eclipse couldn't help taunting Paige, it was cruel of her, she knew, but Paige was beginning to get anxious and Eclipse just couldn't resist.

"I can handle my husband, thank you Jubilee, I am ready to give you half the money now, and if you want to see the other half, I suggest you do it my way."

"No prob, Paige, and by the way the name's Eclipse, not Jubilee, she died a long time ago. So why don't you tell me more about Dr. Leishner."

"You see Xavier. The pieces have been placed on the board and it is now time to see the game played out." A cocky voice resounds in the vastness of the astral plane.

"Jubilation may indeed carry out the mission but she won't kill Dr. Leishner."

"Maybe not Charles but there are other forces at play also." The images shift to one Jonothan Starsmore, now a hermit living in seclusion on the outskirts of civilization. He stops as an overwhelming presence is felt at the edge of his mind. He turns quickly as an exhausted Monet falls through his roof a foot from where he was standing.

"Help..." She says before collapsing beside her sister.

************************************************

"Jean I have an idea. Open your mind to me." A shockwave hits Synch as he begins to do something he never thought was possible. Opening himself so fully with Jean and Cerebro's help allows him to synch with every telepath for fifty miles. The influx of information hits him like a freight train. Images pour into his mind from Jubilee and from Xavier as he begins to assimilate Jubilee's purpose. The connection breaks as he see's Jubilee smile. Then blackness overtakes him.

***********************************************

"Xavier it looks like the last player has entered the game so I shall leave you to your own thoughts."

************************************************

/It looks like they're on to me. I gotta move fast./ Taking the information from Paige in one quick motion Eclipse teleports out. A closed circuit camera zooms in silently taking in the scene as a man watches it from the shadows.

~*~

TBC


	2. Eclipse 2

Eclipse

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Disclaimer: Don't own Marvel so don't own X-men.

//are thoughts **telepathic speech [You guys know the drill.]

I'd like to thank the following for their collaboration on this fic: Admiral, 

Chaos, Dazzler, Discord, Evenstar, Jason Barnett, and PolkaDot.

************************************************************

Chapter 2

Monet was the first to open her eyes. They scanned the room before falling upon Jono and her sister. He felt her forehead and reached out for her hand. Monet looked away as Jono examined the plague that had befallen her sister. Nicole lay on her other side still unconscious from the furious cross-country trip. 

**Sweetheart ya need to wake up and feed some.** Jono said as he pulled back the bindings on his chest. A gentle suffusion of blue light crept down his body and into her palm. Claudia's eyes slowly opened and took in the image before her.

A small cracking voice pierced the quiet of the room. "Why?"

Monet thought the same thing even though she had come to Jono for help. She couldn't understand how he could so quickly forgive. We don't deserve it. We should have died rather than betray our friends.

**Because you needed it.** he said to Claudia his eyes never leaving Monet's. Monet began to cry. Her tears dropping against the sheets made brilliant by the blue fire of Jono's psionic being.

*****

-Medlab-

Everett woke up with a major headache. He'd felt psychic backlash but never anything on that scale. He rose up fast only to have Jean and Beast restrain him. 

"Mr. Thomas, I suggest you don't try to move too much. From the readings I'm getting not all of your neurons are firing just yet. You're lucky your synaptic pathways didn't just shutdown."

"I found Jubilee then I lost her again. I did however find out what she's up to." It didn't take too long for Everett to get up and around.

Cyclops was as meticulous as ever insisting on a debriefing. Synch told them of Jubilee's dealings with the High Lord Ascension. 

"So what do we do now Cyclops?"

**What indeed Mr. Thomas. All the pieces are on the board and the game is set. You should be asking yourself, 'what happens if Eclipse loses?'** The hollow laughter fills Everett's mind.

**You can't just toy with people.**

*****

Eclipse let her powers test the edges of the compound. They could find nothing out of the ordinary but it never hurt to be cautious. She dialed up her night cloak increasing the sensitivity level. The sound dampeners absorbed the errant sound waves allowing her to go completely unnoticed.

What little security there was didn't stand a chance. Mrs. Brawn had insisted that everyone remain alive. They'd be alive in the morning but wish they weren't. Eclipse slipped down the hallway. There didn't seem like there was anything left to impede her progress when a growl from an adjacent hallway caught her ear. A large ball of fur and nails struck her in the side.

'Ah Crap! What is he doing here? Duh! Tristan doesn't trust his dear little wifey. I'll make sure to tell Paige that when I see her again.' Jubes dropped her nightcloak and flung her arm out strafing the hall in ebony fire. Sabretooth dropped into a tumble landing in a crouch on all fours. One huge paw rose to his face as he licked the blood from his claws.

"You taste as good as ever frail. You left without sayin goodbye." Creed said as he sprung foreword his claws catching nothing but air. His face caught a boot a sickening crunch later telling him his nose had been broken. The feral mutant snorted blood.

"Victor I really don't have time to play I'm on a job." She somersaulted over Creed and used his back to springboard letting her momentum carry her down the hall. A quick burst of plasma imploded a section of hallway. 

A distant tingle at the back of her mind signaled the onset of an unwanted visitor. /How could you have…? / The voice of young Jubes began before being cut off. 'I was lonely, drunk, and desperate so let's not have this conversation OKAY!'

With each passing minute she knew that Dr. Leishner was getting away. His psi-pattern was moving farther and farther away from her position. From the brief information Paige had provided she knew he had to be heading to the lab. She took a right turn down another corridor leading to the lab only to be overcome by a strange and disorienting feeling. 

/Ack! It must be a power suppression field. So that's the way you wanna play eh Doc? Alright then let's play./

A suppression field meant only one thing Dr. Leishner wasn't going to come quietly. Eclipse extended two forearm length adamantium blades from hidden caches on her arms. / Paige said alive but she'll just have to settle for dead./

A few feet down the corridor appeared to be made of glass. /Humph! I saw that movie too dork!/ She thought before getting a running go and vaulting from a hand plant. She glided across one section of glass before folding up and scraping the blade against the glass. With each twist a slash, vault a stab, roll and hand plant a tear. Her movements carved a deadly dance through the corridor a symphony of lasers and sparks trailing in her wake.

She'd learned quite a lot hanging around people like Wolverine and Gambit such as always watch your back and only use the best equipment to get the job done. The only thing left for her to do was to grab the Doc and his formula and hit the bricks.

One door left and nowhere else to go for the doctor. With a kick she burst into the room. The doctor was visibly startled but still managed to get a few shots off with the glock he pulled from a drawer. He didn't last very long with Eclipse. A minute later her was out like a light. She went to the computer and popped a disk into the computer. The disk would copy and destroy any files stored on the computers hard drive. She worked quickly the doctor wouldn't be out long and Sabretooth would eventually find a way past the damaged hallway.

She searched the room five times before locating a hidden refrigeration unit in the center of the floor. It slid open revealing a few vials of pale amber liquid. She kicked the old doctor. Not for the first time did she consider leaving the doc for Creed to find before removing the disk popping a tranq in the doc. Moments later she beam out of the lab with minimal effects.

She had what she came for and with a quick stop off at the Brawns' she'd go visit a long lost friend.

~*~

-Astral Plane-

"Oh almost." The Gamesmaster yelled as he turned towards Xavier. "You see Charles the longer she plays the game the looser her humanity is to hold onto. She is almost ready."

"Jubilee may slip but she will never turn fully."

"Time will tell. Ah time something you will eventually run out of my friend." Xavier sneered at the prospect of such a friend.

~*~

TBC


	3. Eclipse 3

Eclipse

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Disclaimer: **see previous chapters for details.**

//are thoughts **telepathic speech [You guys know the drill.]

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Chapter 3

After depositing the doctor with an old friend of Wolverine's and removing the formula from his mind. It didn't take her long afterwards to make her rendezvous with Mrs. Brawn. Paige met her in the parlor. _'Money was agreeing with Paige.'_ Jubilee snorted. The woman looked like their former teammate Monet. 

"Did you do as I instructed?" She asked hastily.

"Yes the doctor is alive and well taken care of." She smiled as she thought of the S.H.I.E.L.D. holding cell where she'd left him. "Here's the item you wanted. Now where is my payment?" Paige looked at the person before her hoping to catch even the smallest glimpse of the friend she remembered. The strong set of other woman's jaw and the look of disgust in her eyes told her that her friend was dead.

Paige just stiffened, and handed her the bag, as she began to speak. "Alright then if that is all our business is concluded." Eclipse accepted the money turned on her heels and vanished.

*********

The growl of a motorcycle ceased outside Kine Laboratories. The outside looked pretty normal but that didn't say much. As the wind change two scents intermingled. With an intake of air Wolverine's claws unsheathed to their deadly length. _'Sabretooth was here along with Jubilee.'_ Worry and anger clouded his judgment as he entered the lab.

Logan slowly made his way deeper into the building. As he neared a warped and blackened junction in the corridor Jubilee's scent became strongly intermingled with Sabretooth's. A noise from a mangled door drew his attention. It burst open and Sabretooth came barreling out right into Logan. Logan rolled with him unsheathing his claws into Sabretooth's chest.

Creed grabbed his wrists and slung Wolverine headlong into a wall. Creed stood his ground waiting for Logan to bounce back. The angry burnt patches he'd received from his fight with Eclipse were slowly healing. Logan glared at the mutant before him. The loose reign he held on the beast loosening. "What were you and Jubes doing here Creed?"

"A little bit of business before pleasure runt." Sabretooth said as he licked his lips suggestively. Logan roared as he charged Creed. "Come and get some!" Creed flexed his hands in anticipation. The thrill of blood lust evident the two men. Sections of the building fell as the mutants tore and ripped at each other. Creed continued to taunt Logan.

"…The frail finally got tired of the X-geeks. She found herself a real man." Logan pulled a metal strut loose and began beating Creeds head. Blood dripped from his mouth as he told Logan how he'd marked her as his property. The battle finally ended when the lights sparked of a gas explosion. Logan pulled himself from the burning wreck and onto his bike.

*********

Eclipse appeared outside the residence of Jonathan Starsmore a.k.a. Charles Evans. _'I hope this goes better than my reunion with the X-men.' _She removed the obscuring mask of her nightcloak. The back door of the house seemed to be the best point of entry. _'Jono and I left on…well I won't say good terms but civil ones at least. {{If you consider civil to be calling him a traitor for not taking out M when he had the chance.}} Shut up you! He couldn't have done that any more than I could have. I know that now. {{If you say so. Just remember your family and friends have long memories.}} Aren't you just the happy ray of sunshine?' _

It didn't take but a sec to pick the lock and enter the house. So far she hadn't been detected by anyone. _'It's not like I'm infiltrating a base or anything. I'm just visiting an old friend. {{Old friends usually use the front door.}}'_ She walked quietly past the door to the guestroom and stopped. Something had caught her attention. As she stepped back in front of the door three familiar women. Nicole and Claudia lay upon the beds as Monet looked over them. Her fluttered open as a sound caught her notice. Fear blossomed in the young woman's eyes as she looked into Jubilee's. Energy crackled cascading around Eclipse's hands as she stepped into the room. Tears welled up in Monet's eyes running down her face.

"Those crocodile tears won't save you."

A barely audible plea escaped her lips, "Take me but please don't harm them." 

Eclipse narrowed her eyes as she took in the other woman's words and anger filled her eyes. She unclenched her fist and the blast flared from her palm and fingertips. Monet closed her eyes at the brightness of the discharge.

--------------------------

TBC

~*~

A/N: **_Read and Review_**.


	4. Eclipse 4

Eclipse

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Disclaimer: **see previous chapters for details.**

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Chapter 4

"How do you like the show so far, Charles?" The image cut off as the blast exploded from Eclipse's hand. "It won't be long before Ms. Lee is eclipsed by her darker emotions."

"I don't believe Jubilee will ever become what you envision for her."

"Oh how vain you are Charles to believe that your beliefs have any impact on the reality I am creating." Charles held his head. "You feel it don't you, Charles, the slow pull of death as your waning life force bleeds away into the ether."

*********

Blinding death sped towards Monet only to stop inches before her heart. It dissipated with the clenching of Jubilee's hand. Jono made it up to the room mere seconds after the blast had been fired and was too late to do anything but watch. Monet just stood there not knowing what to do.

"Why?" She asked Monet. That one word, a question, summing up the years of bad blood between the two young women. They had started to become great friends even though they had such vastly different views of the world.

Monet's mind was in turmoil at the question that was so many accusations in one. 'Why did you betray me? Why did you give up? Why did you not ask for help? Why…Why…Why…?' Monet hung her head answering without looking the young Asian woman in the eyes. She pointed over to the beds; "They're the only family I have left. I was so ashamed that I couldn't prevent this from happening. I'm sorry…"

Jubilee looked away. 'Monet, we are so the parallel of each other you and I. You chose family over everything else and I've chosen my needs over my families'. We have changed a lot since we first met.'

Jono finally chose to speak up. **Why are you here?**

"I need your help Jono."

**I don't do the superhero thing anymore.**

"It's nothing like that Jono. I only want to repay a debt."

**I can sense you're not telling me the whole truth gel.**

"It's for Ange." That gave both Monet and Jono pause.

"Jubilee. Angelo is dead."

"Yes and no. He's still alive in the past." That statement startled them but Jubilee was ready to press on. "Monet what do you remember about Legion?" It was a dumb question given that M was blessed with a photographic memory.

"You can't be serious." Monet said as what Jubilee proposed began to dawn on her and Jono. "We can't do that it's too dangerous and unpredictable. The X-men aren't just going to let you meddle with temporal energy."

"They're well taken care of." An evil gleam appeared in Jubilee's eyes for a second and vanished. 'It's now or never.' She began to tell them as much as she legally could about her dealings with the Gamesmaster. 

**How could you do that to Professor Xavier? Do you honestly think the Gamesmaster will keep his word?**

"I have my reasons. No I don't. Are you two going to help me or not?" They both looked as if they were about to refuse. 'I need Jono in on this or it's not going to work plus Monet would be a big help. What can I do to convince them?' Jubilee pulled out one of the vials she'd taken from Kine Labs. She tossed it to Monet. "I believe this will help your sister." Monet deftly caught it. 

**What's that?**

"It is a drug designed to attack and destroy the cells of artificially created and altered genetic structures. It should counteract the emplate affect and return her to normal. Do we have a deal?" Monet looked at Jono with pleading eyes. 

"Alright I'm in." Jubilee breathed a sigh of relief, as Jono looked her way. She closed her mind as flashes of memory boiled to the surface. She held her head.

"So English you got a spare room?" He quickly pointed her to an unused bedroom. She locked it and slid down to the floor. _Sabretooth, Sinister, Shinobi Shaw and countless others appeared in her mind's eye. 'We got what we came for frail. Light em up!' The guards disappeared in dark bursts of plasma. The scene changed to a chamber littered with the broken and charred bodies of Hand ninjas. Then to the image of young blue skinned child she left on Sinister's doorstep. {{Is it worth it?}} 'I've come too far now.' {{So be it. You're on your own.}}_ Young Jubes voice echoes in her head before it is silenced.

~*~

"Well Charles the Endgame is upon us. Do you have anything to say now that you've seen what Eclipse has been up to?"

"…"

"It doesn't matter. You will be leaving my company very soon. I can't have you missing the welcome back party I've planned for you." There's a bright flash and Professor Xavier is once more in his body. The first thing he notices is the burning pains within his chest. It appeared that the Gamesmaster had been holding back the full brunt of his pain while he was on the Astral Plane.

Beast and Synch turned as the Professor stirred in his bed. They quickly went to help their mentor. "Mr. Thomas I assume you know the situation."

"Yes Professor. Cyclops has called a briefing in the warroom in an hour. Are you okay?"

"It hasn't been one of my better days."

"That is putting it mildly Professor. The Shi'ar equipment has only been able to remove 75% of the toxin in your blood. I suggest that you don't over exert yourself so soon."

"I'll be fine Henry. For now we need to get ready. I believe that the Gamesmaster was hinting at Jubilee returning here. For what I don't know what I do know is that she plans to bring back…"

"Angelo." Synch finished for the Professor. Beast helped the Professor into his hoverchair and quickly moved towards the warroom.

~*~

"Gambit don' like dis."

"What other choice do we have, shuga? She tried to kill the Professor once already."

"The child plans to attempt what Legion did a time rift."

"She ain't a child no more 'Ro. She ain't thinkin straight. Do you think she'll pull her punches? She made it in here once and she can do it again. We may have to take her down."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing especially from you Wolverine."

" X-men don't kill."

"We've done it before…"

"In the most extreme situations only."

"Yes. But this is one of our own we're talking about." 

"We don't know what happen if Jubie open dat rift."

"Gambit's right. Can she even do it?"

"Do you want to take that chance?" The briefing continued like this for over an hour. It just got louder and louder with people tossing the same things back and forth. Charles Xavier took a deep breath feeling the slow burn of the toxins. The last resort was upon them and they didn't want to accept it. _'They had no choice but to kill Eclipse.'_

~*~

TBC


	5. Eclipse 5

Eclipse

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Disclaimer: **see previous chapters for details.**

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Chapter 5

__

'They had no choice but to kill Eclipse.' This was unacceptable to many in the warroom. Gambit had left hours ago to find more information on Jubilee or rather Eclipse as she was called now. Gambit entered the room with a very sober look on his face. Iceman could tell that whatever the Cajun had found was not good. The file he carried was embossed with the _S.H.I.E.L.D._ standard.

"Dis is all I could find but it is enough." He said as he tossed the file onto the table. A disc slid out. Cyclops picked it up and slid it into the viewer. There was no picture but there was a long list of Eclipses activities. Many of the X-men were shocked. Gambit, Wolverine, and Psylocke weren't they didn't doubt that Jubilee had the skills but the number of offenses was staggering. The info scrolled over. There were several camera shots of Eclipse in her nightcloak with Sabretooth, one with Shinobi Shaw, and another with a terrorist named Ashbir Sahed. She was also attributed with several deaths.

Cyclops swallowed as he looked over the dossier. Iceman jumped as Cyclops voice exploded out of nowhere, "Hank, what do we know about Jub…Eclipse's powers?"

"When we first knew her, she was a capable energy wielder with a latent telepathic ability." Beast hit a button on the table and a diagram of her nightcloak appeared. "She is now an Alpha level energy wielder and telepath with empathic abilities. Her blast although still plasma based are able to explode or implode things at the atomic and subatomic level. She uses her empathic ability to enhance her blasts' potential destructive force. The nightcloak is a most remarkable tool. It has a visual and electronic cloak coupled with psionic multipliers much like the Cerebro head unit. Add to that an internal teleportation array this equipment makes for a quick and stealthy adversary. From what Logan gathered we know that many of the pieces of her nightcloak were scrounged from here and several others are from Stark Industries. That means that they are of Shi'ar and Skrull origin."

Gambit whistled. "Dose are gonna give da petite a serious advantage."

"I agree Gambit. That's why we must prepare for every eventuality. A couple members of various teams have volunteered to assist us. But for now, Gambit, I want you Logan and Psylocke to search out possible entry points into the mansion. Iceman you, Cannonball, and Marrow check out the lower levels. Bishop, you and Kitty run a diagnostic on the security system especially the teleportation protocols and those on Cerebro. Remember everyone who we're dealing with. We trained her and she knows us." They all left about their duties. The Professor, Cyclops and Jean just sat there wondering how things had come to this, _once again defending themselves against one of their own and contemplating taking extreme measures_.

~*~

Elsewhere another conference was being held. Claudia walked slowly into the room her body still weak from the retrovirus in her system. It had flushed the excess genes from her body but had left her groggy. Jubilee offered the young lady her seat. She didn't break stride as she continued to explain her plan. "…As I was saying they probably expect me to be coming with Jono but not with Monet, Claudia and Nicole. You may not be a psi anymore but you're still good in a fight."

"How do we get in?" Jono asked. Monet looked over at her old friend a very familiar smile on her face. She'd seen that smile many times and it was never a good thing.

"Let's just say I left a few surprises behind on my last visit. It should get us in but things could go south real quick. My last encounter with Wolverine and Gambit made it clear they'll ghost me if worse comes to worse."

"Jubilee are you sure you want to do this? Maybe there's another way to go about. If the files Sinister had are wrong what then?"

"I'm sure and you don't want to know. Once we hit Cerebro I want you to do a shutdown and lock out of any X-types near us. Got it." Monet nodded.

"Nicole…Claudia…. Can you handle what we talked about?"

"I'll be ready by then Jubilee."

**Jubilee you hear that gel.**

"We have incoming kids. Grab hold." The group grabbed Eclipses arms as she activated the teleporter. The five of them disappeared leaving a wake of electric discharge. The tang of ozone and the tapestry tearing sound of a plasma rifle blast filled the empty room. Sabretooth and several marauders entered the house. Sinister followed at a brisk pace. No one was to be found within.

"There's no one here boss. They musta ported out." Sabretooth said as he sniffed the air.

"No matter. Eclipse cannot elude me for too long." _'Too bad about that information she took from me. The specimen no longer exists.'_

The group reappeared outside an abandoned airstrip in New Mexico. She glanced around and motioned them into the old hanger. "You have to do that a lot Jubilation?"

"Yeah somethin like that. Grab a bunk we're leaving early."

~*~

In the early morning hours Eclipse and her small group teleported a mile out from the Xavier Institute. They slowly made their way towards the grounds. "Okay people it's time." She smiled as she removed a large remote control from a bag slung over her shoulder.

Inside the mansion a small toy whizzed down the hall sticking to the shadows. It stopped behind a potted plant as it neared the main foyer. A barely measurable electronic signal filtered through the mansion knocking out several minor systems. _'By themselves these systems aren't all that important but together they make up the systems that many of the alarms are wired to.'_ Jubilee laughed at the thought of all the alien technology in the mansion and all she had to do was burn out a few wires. _'No bells no whistles no little blinky lights saying Jubie is here.'_

**Magneto would be pissed if he ever knew how easy that was.**

"What do you expect? Every megalomaniac that visits either tries to knock the place down or blow it up. They have no subtlety." This left everyone rolling around on the ground laughing. "Alright let's go."

They moved stealthily across the grounds avoiding the remaining defense systems. Monet and the twins split off from the group and disappeared into the woods. "Alright they're in position. Let's give em a silent 20 count. You know what we gotta do don'tcha English?"

**Act like shiten super powered megalomaniacs.** 

"Right. So let's knock." She flicked a switch on the remote and fired off a blast. The front doors of the mansion buckled and imploded sending a shockwave through the building setting off the remaining alarms.

~*~

X-men all over the mansion went battle ready. Wolverine, Gambit and Psylocke were the first on the scene. Cards exploded around Eclipse several exploded against a wave of plasma. Wolverine went flying from the blast. Psylocke dodged the wave unsheathing her sword in one fluid motion. Her body shifted into the dragon's tail stance. She pounced of her back foot swinging the blade up, down, and across. There was the sound of metal on metal. Psylocke looked the other lady up and down noticing the blades protruding from her. _'That's new.'_

**What this old thing? I've had it for years.** Eclipse moved Gambit's staff barely missed her head. He readied to swing again only to be caught by a bio blast that sent him over into Wolverine. Razor sharp ice darts struck out at Jono. Several struck home but didn't phase him as his psi-fire began to cover his body.

**Why are you doing this?** Synch's voice filled Eclipse's head before she noticed the rainbow aura entering the battle.

**You know the answer to that already.** She flung a psi blast his way although to have it absorbed. Eclipse felt another presence creeping up on her and dialed up the nightcloak. Phoenix appeared off to the side of Synch.

****

**Hello Jean. I was wondering where you were.**

**Jubilee, please stop this now.** She answered by firing a blast at Jean. As it reached Jean it split striking Cyclops in the back, as he was about to blast Jono. Cyclops flew two feet and skidded into a tree. Out of nowhere Rogue slammed into her knocking the wind from her. 

"Get off Daisy May!" She said as she blasted wrong in the face making her drop her. As she hit the ground Marrow swung bone daggers at her throat. Eclipse flipped out of the way until she and Jono were fighting back to back.

**So how are things going so far luv? **

__

Blast

Duck

Kick

Punch

Blast

Slice

Dodge

**It's been better. They're beginning to get on my nerves** She just started firing everywhere.

"Hey Logan you tink maybe we piss 'er off." Gambit said as he dodged a barrage of blasts. He looked over at where Hank was tending to a dazed Cyclops. Clouds began to roll in and rain splattered the battlefield. Lightning hit the ground near Jono.

Storm yelled over to Synch, "You and Bishop fall back and regroup with Shadowkat."

~*~

__

'Jubilee was right. They did pull everyone out to fight her. I just hope she doesn't get herself killed in the process.'

"Monet are we almost there?" Nicole asked as she stopped to lean against the wall of the ventilation access tunnel. 

"We've arrived." She said as she peeled open the wall. They fell through and headed for the Danger Room. _'The easiest way I can think of to deactivate the teleportation protocols is to bypass them through the Danger Room's controls.'_ She and the twins sat down at the controls. The twins did a quick mindlink and began to furiously rewrite computer codes. 

~*~

**Jubilee it's down.**

**Jono it's time to go.** He grabbed her arm and they vanished. The X-men were stunned as they disappeared. A portal slowly opened onto the grounds admitting Sinister and the Marauders. Another battle began in earnest. How all this was happening didn't register until the mansion started to go on lock down. The blast doors were closing across the windows and the damaged doorway when Gambit, Iceman, and Sabretooth slipped through. 

~*~

The twins followed Monet as they made their way towards Cerebro. Shadowkat was using everything she knew to slow them down. The three ladies barreled their way through the obstacles before them until finally coming to Cerebro. Eclipse and Jono joined them outside the room.

"Shadowkat, Synch, and Bishop are here. How do you want to handle this?" Monet asked. _'Since joining up with her brother she'd done some pretty distasteful things. She wondered just how far Jubilee wanted to go.'_ Monet waited with bated breath as did the watchful eye of the Gamesmaster.

"Quickly. Take em down if you have to." They rushed the room. Bishop fired bio blasts and his plasma rifle. Jono took cover as the beams were deflected off of Monet's invulnerable skin. She tossed a dart at Bishop's neck dropping him like a dead moose. Synch synched up with Eclipse and was firing blast waves at her. He had the upper hand until she used her empathic ability to dump Claudia's memories of being an emplate directly into Synch's mind. He let out an ear-piercing scream.

The room seemed deserted. They all knew better though. Shadowkat came through the floor and vaulted off the wall. On the way down she caught Monet in the head with a kick and ghosted through her. Claudia and Nicole swung at her and caught only air. They received a backhand landing them across the room. Kitty's back carried her away from them.

"Nice moves Kitty."

"Thanks." She said as she unsheathed her claws. Eclipse threw a ball of energy at Kitty. It passed through her stopped and exploded sending several darts of energy into Kitty's unphased back. They all sidestepped Kitty and Monet began to work on the Cerebro interface. 

"Nicole, Claudia, Jono you're up." Nicole and Claudia began to glow. They reached out to Jono their powers connecting their body coalescing into one being. It was a solid mass of psionic energy. Monet placed the interface on its head. Eclipse poured her energies into the being maxing out the psi multipliers on her night cloak. There was a great roar or maybe it was two. A great black boiling orb like a lake of raw psionic energy appeared. The energy pouring out of it felt like an open wound or a bone grinding into a raw nerve before it exploded. Then there was nothing.

~*~

TBC


	6. Eclipse 6

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Eclipse

* * *

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Disclaimer: **see previous chapters for details.**

* * *

Chapter 6

A void beyond darkness or color everything and nothing all at the same time. Eclipse was drowning in it as she was ripped from existence and put back together. The universe spat her out on the other side. She slammed into the middle of a forest clearing face first. The pain leaked from her in excruciating waves and every animal within 100 feet died instantly from the overload to their pain receptors.

Eclipse rolled over onto her back. She lay there for an eternity trying to get her breathing under control. Finally, she pooled enough strength to crawl from the charred pit of molten glass she'd created. She'd made it a few more feet before heaving the contents of her stomach across the forest floor. Her eyes flew from side to side. Her brain still hadn't caught up with her current situation. 'Ow that's gonna leave a mark. Where the hell am I?'

The Gamesmaster's voice came to her like the voice of God to Moses in the wilderness and he wasn't happy. You cheated. Nowhere in the terms of the game are you allowed to enter the time portal.

'Nowhere in the terms does it say I can't. You lost so get over it already. Now tell me where I am?'

You are in the middle of the Northern Canadian wilderness.

'Okay but how did I end up here though?' The Gamesmaster's answer came not in words but a flash of psionics that shifted through her memories.

* * *

****

Flashback

__

'Nicole, Claudia, Jono you're up.' Nicole and Claudia began to glow. They reached out to Jono their powers connecting their body coalescing into one being. It was a solid mass of psionic energy. Monet placed the interface on its head. Eclipse poured her energies into the being maxing out the psi-multipliers on her night cloak. There was a great roar or maybe it was two. A great black boiling orb like a lake of raw psionic energy appeared. The energy pouring out of it felt like an open wound or a bone grinding into a raw nerve. Veins of black energy slammed into the walls sending scorch marks along in its wake. The door behind her blew open as Gambit, Iceman, and Sabretooth came barreling into the room. Several highly charged cards and ice shards flew towards Jubilee and Sabretooth. If Gambit had taken a good look at the cards he'd chosen he'd have been struck dumb by the irony. It was the death's hand. Most of the ice spears embedded in Sabretooth's chest although one struck Jubilee in the shoulder. The cards caused even more damage as their resulting explosion caused the orb to implode. Then there was nothing but pain and darkness.

* * *

You barely made it out alive.

"You don't sound happy I did."

You're awfully smug. Well here's something to take that smirk off your face. Because you broke the rules of the game you've forfeited any help you would have gotten from me. And with that last statement he took his leave.

"Sore loser." 'Now what do I do now that I'm here? Well I better start moving before company shows up.'

* * *

The sensors at the X-mansion were going crazy as they picked up a large burst of energy in the vicinity of Canada. Then two redundant mutant signatures appeared. Xavier and Beast looked the readings over carefully and could find no cause for the anomalies.

Cyclops, I need for you to assemble a team to go to Canada. We've picked up some anomalous readings. We could have new visitors from the Age of Apocalypse.

* * *

"Damn it!" Jubilee cursed as she tapped her gauntlets. 'My nightcloak hasn't had the opportunity to recharge and I can't port out because it hasn't adjusted to the time period. I'm a sitting duck.' She was sure to be picked up by folks in Westchester any minute. There was probably a strike team on the way.

Xavier's crew wasn't the only one on their way. Her interesting biologics hadn't gotten passed Sinister's eye and the Marauder's were due to arrive in the area any minute. Jubilee was trudging through the foliage with the grace of a predator. The unknown was making her paranoid. Her senses were stretched taunt like piano wire. The occasional mind touch making her jumpy.

She could tell she was being stalked and she hated it especially when she didn't know who it was. She could have killed whoever it was but the trip had scrambled her senses. She didn't want to kill any friendlies. It looks like she didn't have to worry about that.

She caught sight of Vertigo first and let loose a continuous blast scorching a concentric ring of ebony fire around her forcing the attackers back. The Marauders attacked from all sides. "You want me well come and get me." She screamed as she extended her arm blades. She slammed one blade into the gut of her attacker and fired a searing blast into his face. Sinister hit her from behind. The pain erupted as the skin of shoulder began to twinge muscle and bone exposed to the air.

She was beginning to see spots and barely had enough time to activate the timer on her night cloak before she passed out from the pain. The whine of engines filled her ears or was it a dream.

__

TBC


End file.
